SC constitutes three-member committee to probe allegations against Justice Varma

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Saturday constituted a three-member Committee consisting of High Court judges to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.

The committee consists of Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana, Justice GS Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, and Anu Sivaraman, a Judge of the High Court of Karnataka.

The Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi, Devendra Upadhyaya, has been asked not to assign any judicial work to Justice Varma for the time being.

The Supreme Court on Friday brushed aside any connection between Justice Varma’s transfer to his parent Allahabad High Court and the alleged recovery of a stash of cash from his official residence here.

On Friday, it said that Chief Justice of Delhi High Court commenced the in-house enquiry procedure collecting evidence and information regarding allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma and a report was submitted to the Chief Justice of India on March 21.

Chief Justice of High Court had commenced his enquiry on the allegations against Justice Varma prior to the Supreme Court Collegium meeting on March 20, Supreme Court had said.

It had said that proposal to transfer Justice Varma was sent to the Supreme Court Collegium by the High Court Chief Justice and the Collegium sought response from consultee judges of Supreme Court, High Courts of Delhi and Allahabad and Justice Varma, said the Supreme Court.

As per the media reports, a fire at the judge’s house had inadvertently led to the recovery of cash by the firefighters. Media reports said the cash was found initially by fire tenders when a fire broke out in the judge’s residence on March 14. The judge was not present at his house. (ANI)